In front of nearly 20,000 spectators, no fewer than six Olympic champions, this year’s top performers, ten leaders of the Diamond League and two French Olympic medallists are warming up in what is a stadium designed for athletics. Omar McLeod (110m hurdles), Christian Taylor (triple jump), Derek Drouin (high jump) and Thomas Röhler (javelin), crowned Olympic champions last summer, will be attempting to find their bearings with a little over a month to go until the major London meeting. The same is true for Elaine Thompson (100m), Faith Kipyegon (1,500m) and Ruth Jebet (3,000m steeplechase, world record holder since the MEETING de PARIS 2016), they too medallists in Rio, making up part of the female contingent. However, they’ll be up against stiff opposition. Mutaz Essa Barshim (high jump), Genzebe Dibaba (1,500m) as well as Celliphine Chespol (3,000m steeplechase), who posted season’s bests in the world, are keen to continue proving that 2017 is their year.
Lavillenie for an eighth victory?
The French athletes will naturally be out in force this evening (save for the Rio medallists Christophe Lemaitre and Dimitri Bascou, injured), in a stadium that will also host the European Championships 2020. Starting with Renaud Lavillenie, winner of the MEETING du PARIS seven times, who will be aiming for an eighth victory, but will have to keep a close eye on this season’s top pole vaulter, American Sam Kendricks. Garfield Darien, who posted a personal best and second best performance in the world this year last Wednesday in Ostrava, will be out to challenge the formidable Omar McLeod. Pierre-Ambroise Bosse (800m), Mickaël Hanany (high jump), Kevin Menaldo (pole vault), Floria Guei (400m), Jessica Cérival (shot put) as well as Carolle Zahi (100m), with the support of a home crowd, are also sure to give it their best in a bid to secure a solid performance.
Kevin Mayer and Kim Collins will also be competing.
This MEETING de PARIS 2017 will also be an opportunity to see the Olympic number two in the decathlon in action as Kevin Mayer will be taking the start of a unique triathlon (non-Diamond League event), which has been introduced to the programme by the French Athletics Federation: javelin, 110m hurdles, long jump. Briton Ashley Bryant will be his main rival. Another event that doesn’t count towards the Diamond League but with a stellar line-up nonetheless is the men’s 100m, with Ben Youssef Meité, Kim Collins, Henrico Bruintjes as well as Churandy Martina in the starting blocks. This evening guarantees a showstopping spectacle at every corner of the stadium!
